What to do with all that Watermelon?
EDITOR’S NOTE: We suffered triple digit temperatures across South Carolina this weekend, but never fear. Our friend Chef John Malik has a way to beat the heat (if you’re 21 or over, of course).
I believe I read somewhere that watermelon is the most popular fruit in the world. Embraced by all cultures, all ages and all nationalities, watermelons were first grown by the Egyptians almost 5,000 years ago. And aren’t the early Egyptians the same guys that first brewed beer? Genius.
Once you cut into an average size watermelon, good luck eating the whole thing before it runs all over your refrigerator. A small one weighs in at five pounds and they’re 92 to 93% water so once opened up, they’re going to drip, it’s inevitable. So next time you crack open one of these, try juicing the melon and turning that into a mojito.
Start with a fine mesh strainer and a large bowl and make sure you have a mop bucket with plenty of hot water waiting nearby.
Make sure you wash the outside of your melon before slicing.
Cut or scoop chunks of the melon, then just squeeze.
I said squeeze!
From half a melon I extracted over a half gallon of juice.
Now, let’s make that Mojito.
- 1/4 of a Lime
- 8 Mint leaves
- 1`Mint sprig
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 a ripe Peach, peeled and quartered
- 1 ounce of White Rum (but we’re all going to use more than an ounce)
- 2 ounces of Club Soda
- Watermelon Juice
- Crushed Ice
- 1 Hot South Carolina Summer Day
Muddle the lime, sugar and mint leaves at the bottom of the glass. Add the peach and rum then stir. Add ice, club soda then top with watermelon juice and garnish with a sprig of mint. Aaahhh…
John Malik is an award winning chef in Greenville, SC. Along with his wife Amy, they owned and operated 33 Liberty Restaurant from 2001 until 2008. Following that he was Excecutive Chef at two upscale retirement communities in the Greenville area. John has a BA in English from Southeastern Louisiana University and has written for Smithsonian Air & Space, Saveur, The Greenville News, Greenville Journal, e-Gullet and has been featured in Southern Living, Bon Appetit and Chile Pepper magazines. John holds the whimsical title of Kingsford Charcoal Flame Master and was named Who’s Who in America Barbecue for his sophisticated take on traditional smoking. While 33 Liberty was open John hosted the entire team of Michelin’s “Red Guide” inspectors for a private meal and lived to talk about it.
John has made numerous guest chef appearances including the Food Network, Fox & Friends, the International Food & Wine festival at Disney World, Great Chefs of the South (Beaufort, SC) “Fixin to Eat” a Salute to Southern Chefs (Paso Robles, CA), the Epicurean Evening (Los Angeles, CA) Charlotte Shout! (Charlotte, NC), Drager’s (San Mateo, CA) and Greenville’s own Euphoria.
PHOTO CREDITS: John Malik, Microsoft
